Automatic gun-cartridge supply and feed mechanism.



J. C. STURGEON. -N cARmmGE suPPLY AND FEED MEcHANlsM. APPLICATION HLED FEB. 9. 19H.

Patented Jau. 7, 1919.

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J. G. STURGEON. N CARTRIDG SUPPLY AND FEED MECHANISM. APPLlcATloN man rss.9.1917.

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l WW! JOHN C. STURGEON, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC GUN -CARTRIDGE SUPPLY AND FEED MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, wie.

Application led February 9, 1917. i Serial No. 147,627.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known thatl I, JOHAN C. STUnGEoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie, and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gun- Cartridge Supply and Feed Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to automatic lirearms and particularly to improvements in the cartridge supply and feeding mechanism thereof, and means for actuating the saine.

One object of this invention is to corstruct a detachable cylindrical cartridge supply device having clips on its periphery t04 hold cartridges removably therein so they may be readily detached by the feeding y mechanism of the arm.

Another object of this invention is to provide mechanism acting upon the cylindrical cartridge supply device to intermittently rotate it Vso as to remove one cartridge from the clips thereon at each forward movement thereof, and means for moving such cartridge in front of the bolt at the end of its backward traverse, thereby expelling the spent shell of the previously fired cartridge.

Another object of this invention is the construction and arrangement of the parts of the mechanism so that they can be quickly removed from and be replaced in the frame of the arm.

Another feature of this invention consists substantially in the structure of the parts and their combination and coperation in the arm, with the other mechanism thereof, as hereinafter described.

These and other features of my invention are lhereinafter fully set forth and described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of the frame of the arm partially in central vertical section and partially in elevation.

Fig. 2, is a transverse vertical section of the same on the line A in Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrow.

lFig. 3, is a horizontal view of a portion of the f rame of the arm, in general section on the line of the bore of the arm, with other parts including a section of the cartridge supply device in plan view.

Fig. 4, is a transverse section of the same on the line B in Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 5, is a transverse section showing a modified construction of the cartridge mov- 1n mechanism, on the same line B in Fig. 3, o oking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 6, is a vertical section showing a view of the cartridge moving mechanism as embodied in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6al is a cross section of the same on the line in Fig. 6.

Fig. 7, is a view in elevation of a part of the cartridge moving mechanism embodied in the modified construction thereof shown in Fig. 5. i

Fig. 8, is a side view in elevation of the outer end of one of the arms supporting the cartridge supply device.

Fig. 9, is a section of the central part of one end of the cartridge supply device showing the opening therein fitting upon the part shown in Fig. 8. I In these drawings 1 indicates a section of the frame of the arm, 2 a section of the barrel, 3 and 3a the rod and tube connecting a gas cylinder under the forward end of the barrel (not shown), with the bolt locking mechanism lof the arm, and 5 the breechbolt of the arm secured to the bolt-locking mechanism 4, all of which parts are shown and described in applications for Letters Patent previously filed by me, and therefore not deemed novel features of this invention.

To the tube 3a under the breech-bolt 5 I secure a flat vertical cam-carrier 6 extending substantially from the bolt-locln mechanism 4 to the front end of the breec -bolt 5; and in this cam-carrier 6 I make a cam-slot 7 adapted to be engaged by a stud 8 on a vertically movable part 9 which forms part of the vertically movable cartridge mover 9-10 (see Fig. 6) moving up and down in a slot 13 in the frame 1 of the arm. This element 9-10 is provided at its upper end with a forwardly extending arm 12 adapted to engage an incoming cartridge (see Figs. 3 and 4) and when the bolt 5 is fully retracted move the cartridge 14 in front of the end y of the bolt 5 and in so doing, force the spent cartridge shell 15 out through the discharge and in the rear thereof openin 16 in the side of the frame 1.` T his action is accomplished by the spiral spring being compressed by the action of the cam-slot 7 acting on the part 9 during the rearward traverse, in unison with the bolt 5, of the cam-slot 7, while the cartridge 14 rests between the inclined lip 17 and the backwardly'moving breech-bolt 5 as shown in Fig. 4; and when the bolt reaches its rearmost traverse, the spring 10a acts to force the arm 12 downward and thereby f orces the cartridge 14 in front of the bolt, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The inclined lip 1 below the path y tends outwardly and upwardly in the path of incoming cartridges carried on the periphery of a cartridge supply device 18 hereinafter more fully described, and removes cartridges from the clips on the periphery of said cartridge supply device (as shown in Fig. 4).

On the side ofthe frame 1 I secure the arm 19 at the front end of the cartridge in- 17 is secured to the frame let opening 2O in the frame. In this arm 19y there is mounted a rock-shaft 21 on theinner -end of which there 4projecting arm by a stud 23 on the forward end of the camplate 6 and moved forward against the spring 24 the rearward movement of the arm 22 being limited by the lip 25 contacting with the under side of the frame. On the outer end of the shaft 21 there is a bevel pinion 26, a sliding sleeve 27 connected |with shaft 21 by a stud 28 operating'in a -slot 29 therein,

sleeve 27 there is a spiral spring 30 acting against the-sleeve 27; the outer end of the sleeve 27 being provided with ratchet teeth 27a which engage like teeth 26a on thebevel pinion 26. y

Through the shaft 21 at the outer end of the bevel pinion 26 there is a stud-pin21-a which prevents the withdrawal of the shaft 21 from the pinion 26, and a shoulder 19a on the arm 19 contacts with the rear of the Apinion 26 and-prevents the withdrawal of the shaft 21 from its bearings in the arm 19 until the in 21a is removed, when the shaft `v21 and al of its constituent parts can -be withdrawn through the frame and replaced at will. y

In the inner face of the outer end of the arm 19 there is vmounted a bevel gear 31 preferably u through the arm 19, andrbeing held in place by a stud-pin 32 so as to retain the gear 31 in mesh with the pinion 26 which actuates it. In the end of the arm 19 there is a spring actuated dog 33 engaging the teeth ofthe 'gear 31 so as to prevent any backward movement thereof as the ratchet teeth 26 and 27a operate .in response to the backward oscilla- 42 of the bolt 5 and eX-.

is a `downwardly 22 adapted to be engaged as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 ;4

and behind the by a stud 32 thereon proJecting .tion of the shaft 21 hereinbefore referred to. On the outer face of the bevel gear 31 there is a tapered hexagon extension 34 adapted to receive a like heXagon opening 35 in the end of the cartridge supply device 18 clearly shown in Fig. 9, whereby the rotation of -the gear 31 operates to rotate the cartridge supply device 18 as hereinafter set forth.

At the rear end of the cartridge inlet opening 20 in the frame, of the frame, preferably on ears 36 a lat erally projecting arm 37 adapted to be held inits normal position (as shown in full lines in Fig. 3) by a spring 38 on the frame 1 acting thereon, so that it can be moved back to admit of the insertion and removal of the cartridge supply device 18 as shown in dot- `enter a central opening in the end of the I pivot to the sidev cylindrical cartridge supply device and together Nvith the hexagon stud 34 operate as bearings therefor.

The cartridge supplydevice 18, hereinbefore referred to, is cylindrical in shape and is preferablyemade ofthin sheet metal with a central hexagon opening 35 in one end,

anda round opening in the other, forming.

bearings on which the cartridge supply device is rotated as herein'beforel described. On the periphery of the cartridge supply device 18 I preferably stamp out cartridge clips 38-39 and 40- which are so bent out- -ward as to grasp and removably retain cartridges therein, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, from which clips the cartridges are one by one removed asthe cartridge supply device is rotated s o as to move the cartridges down on the inclined lip 17 as illustratedl in Fig. 4.

' Iii-Figs.' 5 and 7 I show a modified construction .of the cartridge movingl device shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 6. In this modi-` iication all of the parts are the same as hereinbefore described, except that in this modiiication the cartridge gnover 41 is pivoted 1n the frame 1 .above'the bolt opening 42 therein, upper end4 of the part 10y is provided with a -bifurcated extension 43 which engages a stud on'the arm 44 so that the downward. and upward movement ofthe parts 9 and 10 and the action of the spring 10a operate to move the pivoted cartridge mover 41 up and down with substantially the same effect -as that caused by the arm l2 inthe construc-v tion hereinbefore described.

as clearly shown in Fig. 5; and the I have thus shown and described my .iin-l n proved automatic fire-arm mechanism so as to enable others skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, to construct and utilize the same. I do not, however, conf fine myself to the exact construction, forni and arrangement of thevffparts thereof, as

many of these can be modified and varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Therefore what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a gun, a frame having a cartridge inlet at one side, and a cartridge outlet at the opposite side thereof, a cylindrical cartridge carrier revoluble past the cartridge inlet opening, clips on the periphery thereof to removably hold cartridges, a reciprocating cartridge moving mechanism operating in said opening and cam andspring mechanism for moving it. Y 2. In-a gun, a frame having a cartridge inlet opening at one side thereof, a cartridge carrier operating intermittently in front of and parallel with the cartridge inlet opening, clips thereon to removably hold cartridges, means for removing cartridges from Said clips into the cartridgeinlet opening, a vertically o erating cartridgemover engaging cartri ges in said opening after their removal from the carrier clips, and means i for moving it downwardly to force the cartridges in front of the breechbolt.

3. In a gun, a frame having a cartridge inlet at one side thereof, a reciprocating" breech-bolt, gas actuated mechanism for moving the breech-bolt in one direction and a spiral spring for moving it in the opposite direction, a vertically reciprocating cartridge moving arm adapted to be lowered into the cartridge inlet opening and engage and move a cartridge therein in front of the breech-bolt, a telescopic support for said cartridge moving arm, a spring in said support, and a cam under the breech-bolt engaging the lower section of the arm support.

4. In a gun, a frame having cartridge inlet and outlet openings therein, a reciprocating breech-bolt operating between said openings, a cartridge carrier operating opposite and parallel to said inlet opening, means in said inlet opening for removing cartridges from said carrier, a reciprocatingcartridge moving mechanism operating in said inlet opening to move the cartridges removed from the carrier in front of the breech-bolt and thereby eject the spent cartridge through the outlet opening, and cam mechanism engaging and operating said cartridge moving mechanism. I

5. In a gun, a frame having a cartridge inlet opening, a breech-bolt mounted in the frame and reciprocating in said inlet opening, a cartridge carrier movable past said inlet opening for delivering cartridges thereto, a cartridge moving mechanism operating in said inlet opening between the carrier and the breech-bolt t move cartridges in front of the breech-bolt, a cam under the breech-bolt,I a stud von the cartridge moving mechanism engaging said cam, and a spiral spring between the stud element and the cartridge engaging element of said cartridge moving mechanism.

6. In a gun, a frame having a cartridge inlet opening therein, a cartridge supply device operating to deliver cartridges thereto, a reciprocating cartridge moving device operating in said inlet opening comprising substantially upper and lower sections, a spring between said sections, a stud on the lower section, a reciprocating cam engaging said stud, and means on the upper section for engaging cartridges in the inlet opening.

In a gun, a frame having cartridge inlet and outlet openings at opposite sides thereof, a cartridge supply device operating t0 deliver cartridges thereto, means in said inlet opening for removing cartridges from the supply device, a vertically reciprocating cartridge moving device operating in said opening and adapted to engage cartridges received from the cartridge supply device and move them in front of the breech-bolt, a reciprocating cam under the breech-bolt, and a stud on the cartridge moving device engaging said cam.

In a gun, a frame having cartridge inlet Aand outlet openings therein, a reciprocatingbreech-bolt mounted in the frame, a rotating Vcartridge supply device operating in the entrance to said inlet opening, clips on the periphery thereof for removably securing cartridges thereto, means for intermittently rotating said supply device, means in the inlet opening for removing cartridges from the clips on said supply device, a reciprocating cartridge moving mechanism operating to move the cartridges in front of the breech-bolt after they are detached from the cartridge supply device, vand a cam under the breech-bolt engaging and operating the cartridge moving mechanism.

9. In a gun, a frame having cartridge inlet and outlet openings therein, laterally projecting arms at each end of the cartridge inlet opening adapted to support a cylindrical rotatable cartridge supply device, mechanism in one of said arms engaging said rotatable cartridge supply device, and mechanism in the n frame for intermittently operating said mechanism.

l0. In a gun, a frame, laterally projecting arms on one side thereof, a rock-shaft mounted in one of said arms communicating with and actuating a bevel gear mounted in the inner face`of the outer end 0f said arm, and means on the inner face of said gear to engage and actuate a rotatable cartridge supply device, and means for actuating said rock-shaft.

11. In a gun, a frame, a reciprocating breech-bolt mounted therein, means for reciprocating said breech-bolt, arms on the side of the frame adapted to support a rotatable cartridge supply device mounted between them, mechanism mounted in` one of said arms engaging and rotating said cartridge supply device, and reciprocating elements in the `:frame engaging and operating the mechanism mounted in said arm.

12. In a gun, a frame, a reciprocating breech-bolt operating therein, a cam-carrier having a cam-slot therein mounted under the breech-bolt reciprocating in unison therewith, a laterally'projecting stud on the front end of said cam-carrier, a vertically reciprocating cartridgemover engaged and operated by said cam-slot, laterally projecting 'arms on the frame'adapted to support a rotatable cartridgeA supply device, -a rockshaft in one of said arms, operating mechanism engaging and rotating said cartridge supply device, and an arm on said rockshaft engaging the Stud on the reciprocating cam-carrier. 4

In testimony whereof I afx my signature.

JOHN C. STURGEON. 

